Justice is eternal: There’s no escape for the corrupt
Leadership, especially political, needs to guarantee a better future for the next generation.
Great leaders build strong societies that would guarantee a prosperous nation or county where the next generation, whether their kin or not, would find a socioeconomic environment conducive for making a living for themselves.
Self-aggrandising leaders destroy the socioeconomic fabric; that is why in their imagination and actions, they have to steal to guarantee a better future for their children and kin.
Essentially, when we give powers to governors and political leaders who are busy stealing for their kids, then we need to ask ourselves why we are giving this power to folks who are out to ruin the prospects of the next generation.
You see, the best way to deal with corruption leaders is to use the ballot and replace them; the ballot is our weapon.
Corruption must be a critical issue in the next election and for those who have started early campaigns, Kenyans are watching.
For those who are out to fight corruption, the success in the war is a sure route to winning the elections.
Last week I talked about political power being transient and the need to invest in protection of civil liberties and constitutionalism.
Today, let me say that political power even though transient will protect a few corrupt individuals, but just for some time.
Justice is perpetual and the moment the power goes; the long arm of the law will catch up with the corrupt.
Granted, ours is the reality of a country where cabinet secretaries talk about heading ministries that harbour thieves, camouflaged as cartels, and senior political leaders acknowledge that political expediency cleanses the corrupt.
What is disappointing though is the regurgitation of the minister’s lamentations, coverage of the political leaders’ accusations and counter accusations and the little enterprise in digging deep by institutions that we trust.
There is this trust relationship we have with the media and even though we are not getting more of the underlying issues in the public domain, there is reason for optimism in the war against corruption.
The president himself has declared war on corruption and the revamped office of the DPP, DCI and an energised EACC are prowling like wounded lions.
My own governor, Okoth Obado, and a galaxy of his co-accused are facing serious charges and it seems as if the EACC and the DCI did their work in what Kenyans would call chini ya maji (undetected).
The president is also on record saying that no one will be spared, whether family or close political allies.
Well, you may call it a political statement but presidents, don’t make such statements unless they can act on them and we have seen the president’s former hometown governor, Ferdinand Waititu, go home.
In the current heist at Kemsa, where political and public innuendos almost politicised and trivialised the stealing of public funds, the president has given the investigative agencies 21 days and before his next address on Covid-19, we expect to see the real thieves.
Interestingly, we have also seen a decade long act of corruption come to haunt the high and mighty.
This should be a wakeup call that no matter how long it is going to take, justice unlike political power is perpetual.
The court of public opinion and sensationalism of issues can easily give perpetrators a leeway by blowing corruption cases as too big, but an investigative body will unearth the details that can stand the threshold to convict thieves. The time for the thieves to face the law is nigh and there is optimism. — The writer is a PhD candidate in Political communication
